By Meredeth Barzen

Here at Sidewalk Dog, we love a lot of things about Minnesota: the dog-friendly businesses, the lakes, the pretty scenery, the cheese. And since Sidewalk Dog’s executives are certified city slickers, we’re fascinated by the way that cheese is made. So when we heard that Michelle and Roger Benrud, dairy farmers based out of Goodhue who are part of the PastureLand dairy cooperative, had a new Blue Heeler farm dog named Duchess, we were intrigued. And when we heard that PastureLand was coming out with a new cheese called “Farmdog” inspired by Benruds’ previous Blue Heeler, Wylie, we knew we had to look into it. First, here’s what Benruds had to say about life with a real, live farm dog. Following that conversation, check out what PastureLand’s Steve Young-Burns had to say about his brand-new cheese.

Michelle and Roger Benrud, PastureLand Dairy Farmers

Wylie, the inspiration for PastureLand's new Farmdog blue cheese.

Sidewalk Dog: We heard your dog Wylie was the inspiration for Farmdog cheese. Could you tell us more about that?

Benruds: I think Steve had more inspiration for this than we did—he comes to our farm monthly for meetings and Wylie would always greet him as he got out of the car. Sometimes she smelled like a skunk she tried to wrestle, sometimes she was muddy/dirty from working, sometimes she’d even be clean. He enjoyed her greeting him and he was the one to make the connection between Blue Cheese and our Blue Heeler.

SD: What is a day on the farm like for Duchess? What are her main duties?

Benruds: She’s not officially trained, but Duchess has pretty well learned her duties on the farm. It’s nothing fancy—her instinct takes care of most of it—but we worked with her a bit as well.

Duchess helps us with getting the milking cows in from the pasture both morning and night. She also is responsible for making sure the cows leave the parlor after they are milked. During the time we had no dog between Wylie and Duchess, cows would just stand around and often poop in the parlor before they left.

Duchess absolutely loves casing cattle and has a lot of natural instinct for it. We are not by any means very skilled in training dogs, but they seem to pick things up quickly if they have the instinct. She is also a very good family dog—gentle with the kids and very friendly toward strangers. I do wish she’d be a bit more of a watchdog (she’d just as well show a stranger around the farm), but all in all, she’s a good dog.

Duchess, Wylie's predecessor at the Benrud farm.

SD: How does she add to the farm?

As mentioned above, helping with get cattle out of the parlor is very helpful. She is a good companion for us and the kids as well. We didn’t realize how much we miss having a dog until Wylie was gone and we had none.

Steve Young-Burns, PastureLand Dairy Cooperative

SD: Tell us about the Farmdog cheese—what was the inspiration for it? How would you describe the flavor and texture of the cheese?

SYB: I had wanted to create a blue cheese for a long time, and we have a world-class blue cheese plant in Faribault to work with, so I knew anything we made there would be top-notch. I knew I wanted a raw milk cheese, and I knew I wanted to honor the role that farm dogs play in the culture, atmosphere and work of American family farms. Blue Heelers are special because they get into their role so much. Wylie was a terrific herding dog, and Duchess is really starting to understand her role in the barn. She is earning her certifications as a dairy cow movement specialist and should be a great cow dog as she gets older.

I am in love with this new cheese. I think the best thing about it is that it is undoubtedly a blue cheese, but the blue serves to highlight the flavors in the milk itself. The blue is not overwhelming, it leads you to the other flavors in the cheese. Having said that, it’s really, really blue; almost green because the cheese is yellow from the grass-fed diet the cows eat, and the veins are blue. You do a double-take when you look at it because it’s green.

SD: Is this a limited edition cheese or do you plan to make it indefinitely? How often does Pastureland come out with a new cheese?

The label from Farmdog blue cheese.

SYB: We hope Farmdog Blue is a lifelong member of the PastureLand cheese family. We come out with one or two cheeses a year, depending on what’s going on.

SD: Do many of the PastureLand farmers work with farm dogs?

SYB: I think Benruds are the only ones with a herding dog right now, but dogs are definitely part of most pastured dairy farms. They do a good job getting the cows in from pasture, and moving out of the barn after milking.

SD: Where can people find Farmdog cheese?

SYB: Twin Cities shoppers can find Farmdog at most of the area natural food co-ops. Folks outside the Twin Cities metro can use the store finder on our website to find a store near them, or order online. [Ed. note: Some metro-area restaurants are now using Farmdog cheese on their menus, including dog-friendly spots like Clancey’s Meats and Lucia’s Wine Bar, both in Minneapolis.]

SD: Anything else you’d like to add about the cheese or farm dogs in general?

SYB: All of our education and product brand names are designed to remind consumers of where food actually comes from. We have cheeses named for several of our farm towns, and now with Farmdog, we begin to get people’s imaginations even closer to what happens on our farms every day. Dogs are really part of the family and they work side by side with our farmers to create the high quality butter and cheeses we make.

By Meredeth Barzen

A scene from the dog trick contest at Woofstock 2009.

“The Hiiiills are aliiiive …  with the sound of doooogieeeees.”

Yep, that’s right—Linden Hills Woofstock is right around the corner—Saturday Sept. 11th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to be exact. And first things first: Sidewalk Dog is going to be there with bells on.

In fact, Sidewalk Dog, Pampered Pooch Playground and K9 Connection will be be providing a warm water dog wash in the Sebastian Joe’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shampoo is being provided by Topline Canine Care (a local company, natch), and all money raised will go directly to The Pet Project, which which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing (you might also recognize them as the fabulous beneficiary of last week’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued ). If it’s too cold for sudsies, we’ll be playing fun doggie games in the parking lot all day long. There might even be some yummy coffee and treats from Sebastian Joe’s.

A happy customer at last year's Sidewalk Dog-sponsored warm-water dog wash.

But now that we’ve dispensed with the business, let’s talk about the event, which doubled in attendance from 2008 to 2009 according to Lauren Crandall of Pixie Song Events, which produces Woofstock. Last year, “it seemed like EVERYONE had a dog, so the numbers really were astounding,” Lauren says. “As a result, we’ve closed off more real estate this year for more dog events. Bob Bayers of Bayers Hardware is closing off his lot, which is giving us a huge amount of space for more events and safe, car-free mingling.”

All your favorites will be back, including C&E Dog Training with an agility demonstration and a Pint-Sized Play session from Fresh Air Training so smaller dogs can get in on the fun. “We’ll have live music again this year, and dog trick shows for ‘amazing’ dogs, as well as a trick event for ‘average dogs! New stuff we like includes Zen Pooch Doga (yoga with your dog) sponsored by K9 Connection, and a dog/owner photo booth sponsored by Pampered Pooch Playground. And we love that Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) are setting up tents in the Dunn Bros parking lot and having their trained therapy dogs read along with any children that would like time to cozy up with a friendly fido and a good book,” Lauren says.

And don’t forget to stop by that dog wash—we’ll see you there!

By Meredeth Barzen

Melissa, a one-year-old AHS cat available for adoption from the group's Buffalo facility. Says AHS' Tracie Jacobson: "She was a stray and was brought to us by a man who found her roaming his neighborhood. Shortly after her arrival, she gave birth to a litter of kittens, some of which have already been adopted or are currently available for adoption. Melissa is an incredibly sweet kitty who is just so ready for a new home."

Yes, we know. The name of the website is Sidewalk DOG, not Sidewalk Cat, but the fact is, we get the warm fuzzies for pretty much every animal we see (except for cockroaches … ick … ). And when Sidewalk Dog was invited to tour the Animal Humane Society (AHS) as part of a media open house last month, we were informed of a cat overpopulation problem that broke our little puppy-loving hearts and compelled us to give a shout-out to the feline side of the pet world.

So here’s the scoop. There are WAY too many cats in the world today, and not enough happy homes for them. “This has been an ongoing issue for many years, not just at AHS, but throughout Minnesota and throughout the U.S. as well,” says Tracie Jacobson, public affairs manager for AHS. According to Tracie, this problem is due partly to a lack of spay/neuter practices among cats, and partly because many cats—unlike dogs with their leash laws—are allowed to roam freely about the neighborhood and get frisky with other unsterilized cats.

“In comparison to this time last year, adoptions for all cats have gone down 10 percent and intake has increased by 5 percent,” Tracie says. “If the trend continues, we will increase the number of cats taken in in 2010 over 2009. In 2009, our intake of cats was 20,646; in 2008 it was 21,344. In 2009, 52 percent of cats were placed; in 2008 it was 50 percent (placement includes adoption, release to partner animal welfare agency or reunited with owner). As of July 31, we have adopted 4,955 cats out of our five shelters.” She then points to a staggering statistic: Each day in the U.S., 10,000 children and 42,000 cats are born.

An AHS cat.

But it’s not just the numbers that are against our feline friends. “Cats have been tagged with a  second-class citizen status compared to dogs,” Tracie says. “People don’t value cats like they do dogs; they get dogs from breeders but find cats in parking lots or by grocery stores.”

Pet Haven, which subsidizes spay/neuter services and provides foster homes for cats, says it receives daily voicemail messages from people needing a new home for their cat, from animal control regarding cats who will be euthanized if they cannot go to a rescue group, from other rescue groups who cannot place all of the cats they have taken in, from people who have strays in their neighborhood and people who are overwhelmed with too many cats because their cats were not altered.

Cat (and dog) overpopulation continues to be the main reason for healthy, adoptable cats and kittens being euthanized today and every day,” says Mary Ann Cameron, Pet Haven’s cat adoption director. “The only way we will solve the overpopulation crisis and be able to lower the rates of euthanasia are through collaboration with other groups (we are members of Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare) and through spay and neuter.”

During “kitten season” (a period May through September, when shelters get an influx of kittens from the spring breeding season, when cats are allowed to roam outside), AHS takes in an average of 70 cats per day, seven days a week. “The really alarming thing is that kitten season has been extended from core summer months to include spring and fall,” Tracie says. During kitten season, adoption rates for adult cats go down—understandably, Tracie says, as people generally want to raise a kitten from youth to be a part of the family.

An AHS cat.

To counteract this problem, AHS has extended their “Double the Love” program, which used to take place only during kitten season, to operate year-round. Under the program, if you adopt a cat at AHS, the adoption fee will be waived for a second cat. “Since March 1, 2010, 590 cats have been adopted through the program, an incredible increase over 2009 when the program only ran during the summer months and 350 cats were adopted through the program,” Tracie says.” And AHS is currently working on more programs to increase placement of adult cats.

OK, so AHS and other shelters are doing what they can to help the cat overpopulation issue, but what can you, the concerned pet owner, do? Four things, says Tracie:

1) Adopt a cat, preferably an adult one.

2) Make sure the cat is sterilized.

3) Make sure the cat is microchipped AND wears identification tags—having both is  imperative. “The microchip is great, but it has to go with tag so they don’t get into shelter in first place,” Tracie says.

4) Before bringing a cat into the shelter, give AHS a call. “Our behavioral helpline might be able to talk them through issues they’re having with the cat so they don’t get to a situation where they have to surrender the animal,” Tracie says.

If you’re thinking about adding a cat to your pet family, here are some local rescues to check out:

• Animal Humane Society
• Pet Haven
• Caring for Cats
• Feline Rescue

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Back by popular demand, Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown are hosting a yet another installment of the Sushi With Your Poochie shindig that we threw last month—and you’re invited!

During last month’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux parties, more than 150 dogs and 200 owners were treated to fresh sushi, fresh air and fun. For a complete overview of the event, click here to read Sidewalk Dog’s blog post on it. For photographic evidence, check out the complete gallery of photos that Sarah Beth Photography took at the event. If you attended last month’s event and Sarah caught you and your pooch in action, you can purchase the photo three ways: as a $5 low-resolution download ($1 goes to our beneficiary for the night, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program); a $20 print up to 5×7 ($3 goes to MNSNAP) or as a $35 print up to 8×12 ($5 goes to MNSNAP).

Anyway, the event was such a hit that we’re holding it again! On Wednesday, August 18th, we’re throwing Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued! Same time, same place. All your favorite parts of Part Deux are back, including the doggie sushi, the lovely Paw Reader Peggy Kelley and Tiger Sushi 2’s amazing human happy hour treats. This time around, we’ll have doggie ice cream from Pumphouse Creamery to help our four-legged friends beat the August heat, and our beneficiary will be The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. Click here for ticket info.

Since we worked out the kinks for our July event and, as promised, turned it into “a well-oiled fun machine,” we’re giving you another opportunity to see what all the buzz is about. Here are some highlights to look forward to:

• The sushi artists at Tiger Sushi 2 are once again hand-rolling special dog-friendly maki sushi for our four-legged friends! And, for the first time, doggie ice cream will also be available to help Spot beat the August heat.
• Paw Reader and professional actress Peggy Kelly is back to inform you what lies ahead in your pet’s future.
• In addition to being able to order off Tiger Sushi’s amazing happy hour menu, which the restaurant is offering for the entire event, you can purchase ready-to-eat boxed sushi from a table on TS2’s beautiful patio.
• Bone Adventure will have special rawhide sushi treats, chew toys and other whimsical products for sale.
• A small portion of ticket proceeds will go to our fabulous beneficiary, The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. The Pet Project will also receive part of the proceeds from all paw readings and $1 from each of Tiger Sushi’s fabulous martinis (Ninja Jinga or or Pomegranate Empress, anyone?) sold that night. Please note The Pet Project requests that you NOT bring a food donation to this particular event. You can donate at the event, or support them by purchasing raffle tickets, paw readings and those yummy martinis.
• We’d love to see you, with or without your pup!

The Deets

What: Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued, an encore on-leash social event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2

Date: Wednesday, August 18th.

Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Location: Tiger Sushi 2’s gorgeous patio at 2841 Lyndale Ave. in Uptown Minneapolis. (Free parking is available after 4 p.m. in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)

Cost: $15/person in advance; $18 at door if not sold out ahead of time.

Sponsored by: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy

Beneficiary: The Pet Project

By Meredeth Barzen

It’s a good time to be a dog in the Twin Cities. With more and more dog-friendly restaurant patios, dog-friendly stores and lovely pet boutiques popping up every day, that much is obvious. But what you might not realize is that our area is on the verge of a dog park explosion, with multiple new parks either proposed, being built or newly completed. And when you take into account the many existing dog parks where our four-legged friends can romp, play and socialize, it’s a very good time to be a dog indeed. Here’s an update on some of the newest additions and potential players in the dog park scene:

The newly completed Brookdale dog park.

Brookdale Dog Park, Brooklyn Park: COMPLETED!

This new off-leash park at 7650 June Avenue North was built just two weeks ago by the employees of the Brooklyn Park Home Depot, which also donated the fencing and supplies for the project. The City of Brooklyn Park installed lighting, signage, other amenities and a drinking fountain for the city’s estimated 6,000 to 10,000 canine residents. A $3.00 daily use fee is required or a current Brooklyn Park dog license, which non-residents can obtain. Don’t miss the grand opening celebration Monday, August 16 with a “Leash Cutting” ceremony at 6 p.m and live music at 8 p.m.

Andover Dog Park: PROPOSED

Advocates of a proposed off-leash park for Andover, MN met with the Andover Park & Rec Commission on July 15 to discuss the issue—and they came armed with almost 450 petition signatures and four potential sites for the park. According to the group’s website, “The Park & Rec Commission thanked us for the presentation and asked for time to review the local dog parks and the four parks suggested. There will be another meeting in September to further discuss the Andover Dog Park project.” If you’d like to join the efforts, you can add your name to the petition or e-mail AndoverDogPark@gmail.com for more information.

Kingfield Dog Park, Southwest Minneapolis: PROPOSED

The proposal for an off-leash area in Southwest Minneapolis’ Martin Luther King Memorial Park is not without controversy: According to a July 26, 2010 story by the Star Tribune’s Randy Furst, some residents “believe the 18 1/2-acre park is hallowed ground, named for the greatest civil rights leader in American history, and not a place where dogs should run loose.” The story also reports that an informal poll held last month found 47 in favor of an enclosed dog park on the site, 30 against, and three maybes.

Says Brook Lemm-Tabor, an advocate of the park who is closely involved with the process, “The park commissioners at one point promised an off-leash park in every district. Our district, the sixth district, is the only one without a park. Also, we have the largest number of annual dog licenses purchased annually yet the lowest number of additional off leash permits. The parts of the park that we propose to develop are very under utilized by the general public. We have been agreeable to changes requested by the park board staff to review other locations within the park to further develop other under used areas. We have done outreach to the surrounding communities and received great support.” She adds that there are rumors the park board has earmarked some funds to get the basics underway, but the group will need to raise more to make the project work.

The Kingfield Dog Park advocacy group, a task force of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, has a very active Facebook page with updates and news. If you’d like to get involved, you can attend an open meeting on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Park gym. Or, buy a snappy Kingfield Dog Park T-shirt to get the word out. You can also visit the group’s website for a long list of ways to help out.

Stillwater Dog Park: PROPOSED

Friends of Stillwater Area Dog Park (FSADP), which proposed this off-leash area at a yet-to-be-determined site, raised more than $700 for the dog park at a June 9th Yappy Hour at Smalley’s Caribbean Barbeque. “We are still plugging away at raising funds, which is our main obstacle at this point. We are seeking grants and corporate sponsorships,” says Allison McGinnis, FSADP president. “There is definitely a growing interest and need for a dog park in the Stillwater area. Area residents (including those in Wisconsin) currently drive to St.Paul and White Bear Lake area to exercise their dogs. Having a dog park in the Stillwater area would benefit the whole community.” For more info or to help this cause, visit the group’s Facebook page, e-mail Stillwater city officials to tell them you’d like a dog park in Stillwater, or make a donation here.

Victory Prairie Dog Park, North Minneapolis: COMPLETED!

North Minneapolis dedicated a brand new dog park at 47th and Sheridan Ave. N. last month, christened the Victory Prairie Off-Leash Recreation Area. “The dog park will not only provide dogs with a safe place to play and exercise, but also a way for the Northside neighbors to come together,” said Jon Olson, MPRB District 2 Commissioner before the dedication. “We appreciate all the work the Webber, Camden and Victory neighborhood associations and many other residents did to help us pull this project together.” Both off-leash recreation area permits from the MPRB and pet licenses from the City of Minneapolis Animal Care & Control are required to use the park, the first of its kind in North Minneapolis.

St. Paul Dog Parks: PROPOSED

STPdog (St. Paul Dog Owner’s Group) is an informal advocacy organization working to bring more dog parks —or, as STPdog calls them, “parks for people with dogs”—to the city of St. Paul. Led by Jan Carr, who is tireless in his efforts, the group’s members include animal communicator Lena Swanson, The Canine Coach trainer Maureen Haggerty and Wendy Harter, owner of Dog Days doggie daycare. And they’ve done their homework: The group has put together a thorough breakdown of dog parks in St. Paul by the numbers. If you’d also like to see more dog parks in St. Paul, you can join the group’s e-mail list, Google discussion group and/or Facebook group.

By Meredeth Barzen

A pup gobbles up a sweet treat at 2008's Paws on Grand event.

As if this summer weren’t full enough with events celebrating great neighborhoods and their four-legged friends, we’ve got another one to tell you about: This Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., St. Paul’s Grand Avenue will be packed with pups for the Paws on Grand event.

For the fifth year, the Grand Avenue Business Association is turning the popular shopping and dining district into a Fido fest, with free pet clinics behind the Grand Avenue Veterinary Center (1 p.m. First Aid presented by Own Your Pets Life, 2 p.m. Animal Communication presented by Pure Spirit and 3 p.m. Clicker Training presented by On Cue Training & Behavior), pet food collection for The Pet Project and a “Pet Picks” contest (submit your pet’s photo and he could be featured in Minneapolis Picks, named Poster Pet for 2011 Paws on Grand and receive a gift bag of goodies).

Many of Grand Ave.’s businesses are holding specials, deals and activities for the event: At Dog Days, trainer Linda Schindler will be answering questions and you can get your dog’s nails trimmed for $5. At Frattallone’s Ace Hardware, visit some adoptable pups from Homeward Bound Rescue—and if one catches your eye and goes home with you, you’ll get a $50 gift card to the store. The Bibelot Shop is offering 20 percent off all pet-related items, and the list goes on!

It’s a be-there-or-be-square kind of event, and as Sidewalk Dog is anything but square, you can be sure we’re choosing the first option and showing up with bells on. So stop by and say hi!

By Meredeth Barzen

Proud dog moms and dog dads parade their pups during last year's event.

Northeast Minneapolis, long known as a hub for hipsters, artists and creative types of all stripes, would like to add another cultural subgroup to its resume of residents: dog lovers. The neighborhood is a welcoming enclave for dog owners and dog-friendly businesses—and this facet of the community will be put on display this Friday, July 30, with the fourth annual Northeast Dog Parade.

The festivities start at 5 p.m., when you and your  pooch (owners are encouraged to dress their dogs up in fun costumes or outfits) can picnic in Chute Square. At 6:15 p.m., the Minneapolis Police Department will escort the parade from Chute Square through the Northeast Business District to a final destination near the Red Stag Supperclub. But don’t disperse quite yet: There’s a special “Dogtail” happy hour and flea market where you can socialize and shop with fellow dog lovers.

Bone Adventure's Brian Fulmer passes out some neighborhood-branded goodies.

Northeast’s growing core of dog-friendly and pet-related businesses started the parade four years ago, says Brian Fulmer, owner of one such business—Bone Adventure pet boutique. He adds that last year’s parade drew more than 300 dogs, and with the way Northeast’s dog population is growing, organizers are anticipating more than 500 dogs this year.

But you don’t have to be a Northeaster to join in the fun. Dog owners from all neighborhoods are welcome.

And while you’re there, stop by the Red Stag parking lot where Sarah Beth Photography will be snapping some photos, then hop over to Bone Adventure to get a last look at her “Style Hounds” display before it closes.

By Meredeth Barzen

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

The doggie sushi has been distributed, the Paw Reader tent has been dismantled and the verdict is in—Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux was a smash success. Sidewalk Dog is happy to report that during Tuesday and Wednesday’s festivities, more than $1,000 was raised for our fabulous beneficiary, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP). Click here if you missed the party but would still like to donate to this noble cause.

Big thanks to our co-host, the lovely Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown (and may we take this opportunity to remind you that their expansive patio is always dog-friendly), and to our sponsors as well: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy.

Make no mistake—serious fun was had by all. And if you weren’t able to make it and need further proof, Sarah Beth Photography snapped some great photos. See for yourself!

Tiger Sushi 2 owner Lisa Edevold serves up doggie sushi handmade especially for the event. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Yes, he uses utensils to eat his treats. He's a dog, not a barbarian! Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Münter, doggie guest of Fox 9 News' M.A. Rosko, eyes a cold one. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Eloise (a.k.a. "Weezie") the mini Aussie shepherd greeted guests Wednesday night. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

A potential puppy pile? Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Stunt Puppy's Ken Goldman pauses to give his dog Bauer some love. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Stella the mystery mix gets her paw read by improv actress Peggy Kelley. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Despite what it might look like, Izzy actually is enjoying the music of the Zurah Shrine Band.

Sighting: Izzy the yellow lab

Location: Lake Harriet Bandshell in Southwest Minneapolis, showing live music every night this summer

Human Buddy: Teresa

Fun Fact: Izzy was adopted from Pet Haven.

Editor’s note: If you spot a Sidewalk Dog hanging out at a local dog-friendly restaurant, store or event, snap a pic and we might feature it in a future Sidewalk Dog Sighting! Send your photo (just dogs; no people, please) to info@sidewalkdog.com, and be sure to include the dog’s name, breed, location, human buddy and a fun fact.

A guest at last year's Sushi With Your Poochie enjoys the festivities. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Hold onto your hats, dear Sidewalk Dog readers. Something big is coming. Something that’s new, improved, better than ever and—we’ll give you a hint—involves raw fish.

That’s right—we got such a good response from the inaugural Sushi With Your Poochie shindig that we threw last year at the incomparable Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown that we’re throwing another next month—and you’re invited! (Nuff said? Click here to purchase tickets.)

And while last year’s event was a great success considering it was the first doggie/sushi party the Twin Cities has ever seen, this year, we’ve worked out the kinks to make sure everything runs like a well-oiled fun machine. Here are some highlights to look forward to:

• The sushi artists at Tiger Sushi 2 have offered to hand roll special dog-friendly maki sushi for our four-legged friends!
• A very insightful “paw reader” will be on hand to inform you what lies ahead in your pet’s future.
• You’ve got two chances to attend—the event will be held on both Tuesday, July 20th and Wednesday, July 21st. So if one night conflicts with your golf game, don’t sweat it. Plus, each night will be less crowded and more fully staffed than last year.
• In addition to being able to order off Tiger Sushi’s amazing happy hour menu, which the restaurant is offering for the entire event, you can purchase ready-to-eat boxed sushi from a table on TS2’s beautiful patio.
• A small portion of the ticket sales will go to our fabulous beneficiary, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP), which provides low-cost spay and neuter services in a mobile surgical unit. MNSNAP will also receive part of the proceeds from all paw readings and $1 from each of Tiger Sushi’s fabulous martinis (Ninja Jinga or or Pomegranate Empress, anyone?) sold that night. All the proceeds from raffle ticket sales will go to MNSNAP, and on-site donations are also encouraged.
• We’d love to see you, with or without your pup!

The lovely patio at Tiger Sushi 2. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

You’re already salivating for a spicy tuna roll, right? Here’s what you need to know:

The Deets

What: Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux, an on-leash social event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2

Date: Tuesday, July 20th and Wednesday, July 21st

Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Location: Tiger Sushi 2’s gorgeous patio at 2841 Lyndale Ave. in Uptown Minneapolis. (Free parking is available after 4 p.m. in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)

Cost: $15/person in advance; $18 at door if not sold out ahead of time

Tickets: Tickets are available for either night. Choose whichever date works best for you! Click here to purchase tickets and put yourself and Fido on the guest list for fun.

Sponsored by: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy

Beneficiary: Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP). Click here to donate.